Batcombe

Batcombe is far too small to offer hotels of its own, but its setting in a quiet fold of the Mendip Hills, midway between Shepton Mallet and Bruton, makes it an appealing base for a countryside stay if you are happy to travel a little for choice. The village's own accommodation is limited to a small number of stylish en-suite rooms above the Three Horseshoes, the celebrated 17th-century inn at its centre, which suits couples wanting a quiet, food-focused stay with a proper local pub on the doorstep. For a wider range of hotels, inns and guesthouses, Bruton and Shepton Mallet are both a short drive away and offer everything from boutique townhouse hotels to traditional coaching inns, while Castle Cary and Wells extend the choice further for those touring this part of Somerset. Wherever you base yourself, the surrounding lanes, dairy pasture and small villages of the Alham valley make for gentle exploring, with Bruton's galleries and restaurants, the gardens at Hauser & Wirth, and the cathedral city of Wells all within easy striking distance. Booking ahead is sensible, particularly for the Three Horseshoes' rooms and for accommodation in Bruton during summer weekends, when the town's popularity with visitors to its galleries and restaurants can make good options scarce. Outside of peak season, this is a part of Somerset that rewards a slower pace: a stay near Batcombe suits those after quiet lanes, good food and easy access to some of the county's best small towns rather than a base geared around a long list of visitor attractions.

Batcombe is not a destination for sightseeing in its own right, but it makes a quiet, well-placed base for exploring some of Somerset's best small-town and countryside attractions.

• St Mary the Virgin, Batcombe — the village's Grade I listed parish church, dating largely from the 15th and 16th centuries, is famous locally for its handsome pinnacled tower and a peal of six bells cast in 1760 by the Bilbie foundry.
• Hauser & Wirth Somerset, Bruton — a free-to-visit contemporary art gallery in restored farm buildings just outside Bruton, with a Piet Oudolf-designed garden, changing exhibitions and a well-regarded farm-to-table restaurant.
• Nunney Castle — the romantic, moated ruins of a small 14th-century castle in the village of Nunney, with a riverside footpath walk on to the neighbouring hamlet of Whatley.
• Bruton — a handsome small town of independent shops, galleries and cafes a few miles south, worth an afternoon in its own right.
• Wells and Glastonbury — England's smallest city, with its cathedral and Bishop's Palace, and the abbey ruins and Tor at Glastonbury, are both within easy reach for a day out.

Batcombe punches well above its weight for food thanks to the Three Horseshoes, a 17th-century village inn owned by chef Margot Henderson of Rochelle Canteen fame, known for its daily-changing, seasonal menu, real ales and local ciders, and regularly ranked among the UK's top gastropubs. Beyond the village, nearby Westcombe Dairy produces well-regarded farmhouse cheese, and Bruton offers a wider spread of cafes, restaurants and the Hauser & Wirth restaurant for a more substantial night out.

Camping right in Batcombe itself is limited, but the surrounding Mendip countryside around Shepton Mallet and Bruton has a small, appealing scattering of sites suited to a quiet rural break. As everywhere in England, wild camping without the landowner's permission is illegal, so pitching up in fields or woodland here requires booking a proper site or securing permission in advance rather than simply finding a spot for the night. The terrain around Batcombe is classic Mendip dairy country: steep-sided valleys, sunken lanes and pasture rather than dramatic hills, which makes for gentle, sheltered camping rather than exposed wild-camping territory. Nearby Batcombe Vale, a short drive south towards Bruton, is a well-regarded small campsite set around former watercress ponds in a peaceful valley, popular with couples and adults seeking a tranquil, off-grid-feeling stay with good facilities. Further afield, the wider Mendip Hills and the countryside around Shepton Mallet and Wells offer additional campsites and touring parks, generally with easier access for families and larger groups. Late spring through early autumn is the best window for camping in this part of Somerset: the ground is drier underfoot, the lanes and footpaths around the Alham valley are at their most inviting, and evenings in a pub garden like that of the Three Horseshoes make a fitting end to a day outdoors. Somerset weather is changeable even in summer, so it is worth packing for rain regardless of forecast, and sites here can fill at weekends when visitors combine a stay with trips to Bruton's galleries and restaurants. For those who would rather have four solid walls and a proper bed while still enjoying a rural setting, glamping options in the wider area range from shepherd's huts to safari tents, typically offering a fire pit, some basic kitchen facilities and considerably more comfort than a standard tent, without losing the quiet, green seclusion that makes this corner of Somerset worth seeking out.